Things have changed ever since the day my parents moved to America 22 years ago. Nowadays, you can buy Indian items and ingredients at a regular grocery store like Whole Foods, Safeway, and Costco. But, what about the good ‘ol neighborhood Indian grocery stores, the symbol of Indian-American culture? Here are a few thoughts I’ve had while shopping at the stores that I, and many of my fellow second-gen Indian-Americans, have grown up in.
1. Indian grocers aren’t that creative when naming their stores, are they?
If you can tell me one grocery store that has a name without the words “New,” “Bazaar,” and “Plaza” -- or better yet, a grocery store that doesn’t just say something like “Indian Food Supermarket” -- then I will love you forever. Seriously.
2. Man, these grocery stores really need to expand.
Picture your typical Costco. Now, take all of the produce and pack it all into a building tinier than your dorm room. Yep.
3. The vegetable aisle isn’t really a vegetable aisle. It’s a jungle.
More like a jungle with below freezing temperatures. When you walk into the aisle, you’ll probably see green leaves everywhere on the floor. Cilantro leaves. Spinach leaves. Basically the canopy of a rainforest.
4. The signs above the aisles indicating which items are where? LIES.
If the signs says “spices, packaged meals, and snack foods,” then why the hell are there bottles of coconut oil and sweet ketchup when they’re supposed to be in another aisle?
5. Wow, that’s a lot of dust.
You’ll notice that a lot of packaged foods -- lentils, spices, etc. -- have a thin layer of dust on them. That’s probably because these are packed and shipped all the way from India, the motherland, where transportation methods aren’t always the most hygienic.
6. Bargaining? LOL NICE TRY.
Aside from cooking, creating new technology, and just kicking butt, Indians are insanely good at haggling, and grocery store owners know that all too well. You know the whole “the customer is always right” thing? Yeah, that doesn’t really apply to Indian supermarkets. Discounts are rare.
7. So, you’re saying that I have to pay $12 for a BOOTLEGGED Bollywood DVD?
Along with vegetable produce and food items, Indian stores often sell Bollywood movies, both old and new. The problem is that the CDs aren’t exactly “brand new.” The shaky footage, the sketchy ads popping up on the screen every 5 minutes -- it’s pretty obvious that someone recorded the movie with a phone or a camera in a movie theater. Sigh.
8. DVDs aren’t the only things you’ll find at an Indian grocery store. They have everything.
Appliances. Religious items. Cardamom boards. TV sets. Indian supermarkets were basically your one stop shop for everything. Take that, Safeway!
9. But, regardless of their quirks, Indian grocery stores are perfect the way they are.
Because no matter their imperfections, you’ll always feel at home with the soothing aroma of spices and the Hindi music playing in the background. Oh, Indian grocery stores. Never change.
